


Nightmares

by starryeyedchar



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Dreams and Nightmares, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Not Really Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 16:26:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11718108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryeyedchar/pseuds/starryeyedchar
Summary: Set after Shiro disappears. Keith has a nightmare after a particularly rough mission, in which Lance was injured. So he goes to Lance for comfort.





	Nightmares

 

 

Keith knew his reckless actions had consequences, and he was more than prepared to accept them. At least, usually he was.

He forgot to take into account that Lance could be just as stubborn, if not more so. That Lance made it his business to get in the way of _everything_.

Which is exactly what he did when the laser was barreling towards Keith. One second it was coming at him faster than any he'd encountered before, and the next a weight slammed into his side and pushed him onto the ground.

And he looked up just in time to see the shot connect with Lance's chest plate. The armor fractured. Keith realized numbly that if the armor hadn't deflected the shot... then Lance...

The thud when he hit the floor was sickening, and Keith was by his side in an instant. Lance stared up at him with wide eyes, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth as he brought a shaking hand up to his wound, seeming confused as to how it had gotten there.

The light behind Lance's deep blue eyes turned glassy, then snuffed out all at once. His body went still before Keith could find any of the words he wanted to say. All he could think to do was scream. In rage, in fear, and in sadness most of all. Because he was gone. Lance was gone.

The blood spreading over the floor was an alarming shade of red, and Keith never wanted to see the color again.

* * *

Keith sat up in bed, breathing heavily and sweat dripping down his back.

_A nightmare_ , he reminded himself. _Just another nightmare._

But the image of Lance's body refused to leave his mind whenever he squeezed his eyes shut.

Keith usually had dreams about Shiro, and they were pretty frequent after he disappeared. The battle earlier in the day, however, seemed to have had more of an effect than Keith thought.

Pidge had been too busy at the control panel to notice the blaster aimed at her, but luckily Lance had been there to push her out of the way. He wasn't quite quick enough, though, as the bullet grazed his side. They'd been able to get him back to the castle in time for a pod, but the sheer amount of blood left all of them pretty shaken up.

And, okay, Keith knew that Lance was going to be fine. Coran said so himself. But it had been one thing going to sleep when he knew Lance was being brought back from the edge of death by a _magical alien sleeping chamber_. After that dream, he couldn't help but go down to the infirmary to check.

But Lance wasn't there.

The pods were all empty, as was the room.

Feeling panic begin to set in once again, Keith ran into the hall. As he sprinted past the kitchen and control deck, he looked in, but Lance was seemingly nowhere to be found.

When he reached Lance's bedroom he hesitated for only a moment before he pressed the button outside, causing the door to slide open. For a second, he thought Lance wasn't there either, but then he noticed the lump under the covers.

His gaze snapped to it and— there. Lance had clearly been in a rush to get to sleep. The pod suit was left in a heap on the floor. He was dressed in those ridiculous bright blue pajamas, but the usual face mask and headphones were nowhere in sight.

Keith could see why he used them, as almost immediately after he opened the door, Lance sat up, squinting in his direction, clearly a light sleeper.

Keith fell against the doorframe. “You're okay. You're _awake_.”

“And _you're_ disrupting my beauty sleep,” Lance yawned to prove his point. “Anything in particular you want, or do you just love to annoy me so much that you figured you'd drop by, near-fatal injuries be damned?”

Keith hesitated. “I... had a nightmare.”

Lance's features immediately softened, and he pushed the covers off. He briefly attempted to stands, only to give up and sink back onto the bed, patting the mattress beside him. “Sorry, I didn't even think of that. Foggy sleep-chamber mind, and all that business. Do you want to talk about it?”

Keith wasn't sure what to say, and he pretended not to notice the wince of pain from Lance when he had tried to stand up. He'd never actually been in a pod, but from what he understood they caused a decent amount of exhaustion, and the previously injured area still ached.

Lance sighed. “We're going to find him, man. You have to believe that. Shiro is the strongest guy I've ever met, except for maybe _you_. And he's smart, too. We'll have him back here before you know it.”

“It wasn't _about_ Shiro,” Keith snapped, crossing his arms. It was a wonder that Lance could be so clever one minute and then oblivious the next. Did he not realize how scary him being injured had been for them? Apparently, Lance was the only one not bothered by his tendency to put himself in harm's way.

Lance's eyebrows drew together in concern. “Was it the Blade, again? Your family?”

“It was about _you_ , dumbass,” Keith glared at the floor. “You _died_.”

“Oh,” Lance muttered intelligently. “You had that... because of today?”

“Obviously,” Keith scoffed, still refusing to meet Lance's eyes. “And then I went to check on you in the infirmary, but you weren't there. Why wouldn't you wake us up?!” He finally brought his gaze to meet Lance's, who stared back at him in surprise. “You should've told us when you got out of the pod!”

“I didn't think you guys would care,” Lance answered honestly. Keith's eyes widened. “Seriously, I've been in the pod so many times it feels like a second bedroom! It's not that big of a deal.”

“Not that big of a— Lance, you could've died! How is that not a big deal!?” Keith demanded, and Lance only shrugged.

“Keith, if we got worked up every time someone almost died around here, then Hunk would have made enough stress cookies to feed an entire planet.”

“I don't care!” Keith nearly shouted, no longer afraid of waking up half the castle. “I'm not losing anyone else!”

“You're right,” Lance admitted sheepishly, ducking his head. “I should've been more careful. With Shiro already gone, we can't afford to have another lion out of commission.”

“Not because of Voltron! God, you really are an idiot!” The hurt that flashed across Lance's eyes made Keith flinch. “No, I meant—” he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Why is it so hard to _talk_ to you?”

Lance just stared at him, for once at a loss for words.

“I don't want to lose anyone else because you guys are my family,” Keith explained. "You're all I've got left, actually. And I can't... I _won't_ lose you, too.”

Tears were starting to well up in his eyes, and Lance quickly enveloped him in a hug. Keith stiffened at first, but relaxed after a moment.

“You won't,” Lance promised. “I'm not going anywhere.” Keith nodded into his shoulder, sniffling a little, and Lance decided not to voice his next thought.

_At least, not until we can get Shiro back._

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how I feel about this one??? Feedback immensely appreciated.


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